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This month's blog article was featured in the September 2025 issue of our digital newsletter, Aspire Wire.

By Elise Wulff, MEd
Senior Manager, Consultation Services

Neurodivergent youth are often engaged in the dual task of learning about themselves while also learning how to be themselves in a world designed for neurotypical ways of thinking and being. As a result, they tend to receive more frequent feedback—on behavior, communication, learning style, and more—than their neurotypical peers. So how can we, as parents, clinicians, and allies, offer this feedback in a way that builds understanding, resilience, and self-confidence?

We bring in the brain.

At Aspire, we developed a curriculum called The Science of Me, which introduces participants to the foundational science of the brain and nervous system. Through topics like neurotransmitters, reflexes, the fight-or-flight response, mirror neurons, and more, learners become "brain scientists"—curious investigators of how they think, feel, and act. This fact-based framework supports a healthy sense of self and builds a bridge to understanding neurodiversity as a natural expression of human variation.

By learning how the brain works, we create opportunities to recognize and celebrate neurological diversity—not as deficit, but as difference.

Ways to Bring in the Brain at Home or in Practice

  • Use engaging, developmentally appropriate resources
    Explore books, shows, and websites that explain brain science in accessible ways. A few favorites include:
  • Use “brain-based” language when processing behavior
    Try reframing reactions through the lens of the nervous system:
    • “Your brain sent you a message that the tag was painful.”
    • “Sounds like your brain felt too full.”
    • “What do you think your nervous system was trying to tell you?”
  • Support self-discovery through science
    When individuals understand how their brain and nervous system work, they’re often better equipped to explore and explain their neurodivergent identity—especially during conversations around diagnosis or self-advocacy. Science can provide a neutral, empowering lens through which to understand difference.

By centering the brain in our conversations and support strategies, we can foster not just knowledge, but also empathy, agency, and pride.